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News | 21 August 2023
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Working towards a net zero carbon future

At Wellington City Council, we have a team of climate action superstars that work together to implement Te Atakura – First to Zero, our climate action plan.

Whairepo lagoon with a sunset in the background.

Meet some of our team members, and find out how they are leading change within the Council and around the city.

Collage of three people in a row.
Anne (left), Ben and Pip (right).

Anne Galloway

Behaviour Change Advisory Lead

After more than 15 years of university research and teaching in Canada and at Victoria University of Wellington, Anne most recently worked at Ministry for the Environment putting her behaviour change expertise to good use on environmental policy. With a background in anthropology and design, Anne focuses on understanding people's lived experience and how it connects to climate change.

She’s interested in how different cultures relate to the natural world, and how people take care of the places and things they love. Anne enjoys connecting with the whenua, growing food and flowers, and spending time with her sheep, ducks, cat and the native birds around her rural home.

Ben Mcmenamin

Behaviour Change Delivery Lead

Ben recently joined the Climate Change Response team, following on from a career as a policy and research advisor, social entrepreneur, human-centred design facilitator and professional chef working in food education.

Now it’s his job to support Wellingtonians to use more active forms of transport like biking, walking and public transport. Ben’s looking forward to using his creative problem solving and communication skills to ensure a more sustainable, low-emission and healthy city. While not at work, you’ll find Ben hosting dinner parties, propagating indoor plants and walking on the beach.

Pip Wheaton

Principal Advisor Climate Action

Pip’s mahi focuses on finding ways to support businesses and communities to reduce the city’s emissions. Pip has over 15 years’ experience in social impact, working for and advising some of the world’s leading nonprofit organisations and social entrepreneurs, and setting up her own social enterprise in South Africa.

Pip recently published research on how social entrepreneurs around the world enable others to be changemakers for climate action – lessons that she’s bringing to our work at Wellington City Council.